


Moments: Doorstep

by haganenoheichou



Series: Moments (Eruri Week 2014) [6]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Day Six: Reunion, Eruri Week, Eruri Week 2014, M/M, eruri - Freeform, implied!Eruri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:06:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3116096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haganenoheichou/pseuds/haganenoheichou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day Six of Eruri Week 2014: Reunion. After the titans are defeated, Levi runs off to explore beyond the Walls. He comes back to see Erwin. Both are in for a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moments: Doorstep

He had been kidding himself thinking he would be able to stay away forever. As the now expansive town entered his field of vision, a strong feeling of anticipation and dread settled in his stomach like a heavy boulder. He wasn’t home, not by any extent. But he was, indeed, _back_.

As he spurred his horse to go on forward, every sound its shoes made against the gravel seemed to reverberate in his chest like a bell – a funeral bell. The kind of bell that had rung every time the Titans had broken through the Walls. But there were no more Titans. And there were no more Walls. Yet, he was there, watching the somewhat bare-looking town with nothing separating him from it but about a mile’s worth of grass. The rubble of the Walls still surrounded the tiny houses that flocked together to form the suburbs, yet they only served as decoration and entertainment – he could see little brats crawling over the ruins, unwittingly playing on top of someone else’s blood.

Nobody recognized him when he entered; the people had no time to spare a glance at the tired traveler, his rugged horse thirsting for a drink of water. Finally, he stopped at an inn for the night, to rejuvenate himself for the most exhausting day in the past three years – the day that would come tomorrow. The innkeeper did not know _that_ name, and yet, when the young man asked him quietly of the whereabouts of one Erwin Smith, the man’s eyes lit up with joy as he explained to him that Smith was now stationed within the district that had once constituted the Inner Wall, apparently a law enforcement genius and do-gooder. The traveler listened intently, his lips drawing up into a small smirk when the innkeeper mentioned Smith’s benevolence. That sounded just like the former Commander.

The following day, the traveler carried on further into the human settlement, watching the scenery change as small wooden and stone houses gave way to more elaborate, decorated mansions, temples and palaces. He had supposed the Wallists would remain – and remain they did. Apparently the dogma now was that the historical part the Walls had played for mankind was supposed to be preserved in the people’s memories forever. If anything, the Wall Cult seemed to have gained even more support than ever, with a temple standing at almost every street corner.

Finally, the rich décor of the facades became too ostentatious to bear, and the traveler knew he had entered the capital district. He asked around for directions, and found that all the citizens, clad in silk and velvet, knew where Erwin Smith’s house was. Apparently, the man never turned anyone away whenever they had a request; and thus, he had gone from Military Police officer to a sort of benevolent samaritan. The traveler nodded politely whenever the townsfolk began to spew adoring nonsense about Erwin – the same Erwin they had practically turned into a pariah just several years ago for having been the only one to have the balls for the riskiest plans aimed to rescue humanity from its Titan trap.

He came to a halt in front of a surprisingly modest home: a two-story house painted an unassuming beige color, with a red roof and several windows overlooking the capital. The drapes on the first floor were drawn, and the man had no way of seeing the inside without knocking on the door. Not that he would stalk Erwin, that would be plain creepy, he decided as he raised his fist to announce his arrival.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The door opened to reveal a pretty young woman, clad in what was clearly a wear-at-home dress that stretched over a bulging stomach. Her shot black hair was pinned back neatly, and her grey eyes sparkled with no recognition when she saw the man on her doorstep.

“Can I help you?” She asked, her voice melodious, yet somewhat lower than what the man would have expected.

“Er, yes. I am here to see Erwin Smith. I must have gotten the wrong house by mistake, it has been years since–,”

“No, no, Erwin lives here,” the woman assured him with a smile. “Are you with the Royal Assembly?”

“Definitely not,” the man replied sourly, his harshness doing nothing to wipe the smile off the young woman’s face. “I am… an old acquaintance. But, I see that he isn’t in, so I guess I should be on my way.”

“He won’t be home until tomorrow. Official business.”

“I see.”

“Would you like to leave a message for him?” The woman asked politely, her right hand going to support her lower back. The man’s eyes drifted towards the pregnant belly, and his throat suddenly felt very dry.

“No. I don’t think think there is anything I could say to him… _in absentia_ ,” the man answered quietly. “Please excuse my disturbing you.”

“Not at all. It gets lonely here sometimes, with Erwin being away for work,” the woman replied. “I cannot move around too much because of the baby, you see.”

“Congratulations,” the man said, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible. “Your first?”

“Second, actually. The other one’s asleep.”

“Oh. Well, please accept my congratulations. Erwin is… a good man. I have seen his paternal side, back in the day, I know that he is wonderful with-,”

soldiers

“-children.”

“You must know him from the Survey Corps, then,” the woman said, her voice cautious. “He doesn’t talk much about it. Says it’s… too painful to think about it.”

“He is correct.”

“May I at least take your name, to tell him you stopped by?”

“No, there’s no need.”

The woman gave him a puzzled look. “Why?”

“Because I don’t have one.”

At that, the man turned on the spot and ran as quickly as possible, dashing into an alley even as he heard the woman call out for him to wait. He pressed his back against the brick wall of some baker’s shop, chest heaving as angry tears stung at his eyes. He’d never cried over Erwin. He’d come close, but he’d never cried.

Until now.

That night, he went back to where he belonged – out of town, out of Erwin’s life.

At least, until Erwin came back from work the next day.

He greeted his wife with a kiss on the cheek and stroked her stomach fondly before sitting down for dinner. He told her all about the trip, how much he’d managed to do, that they had finally decided to do correction work with the criminals instead of immediately sentencing them to die, something he’d been fighting for over the past several months. His wife listened intently, entranced. As he finished his tale, she smiled.

“I met a friend of yours yesterday, I think.”

“A friend?”

“He came by the house about mid-afternoon, said he was looking for you and then left because you weren’t there. He told me he thought you were a good paternal figure,” she said with a giggle. Erwin’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Did he leave a name?”

“He refused to. Told me he didn’t have one. What a strange thing to say, don’t you think?”

Erwin dropped his fork onto the plate with a clatter.

“Erwin? What’s wrong?”

He turned to his wife and suddenly grabbed her by the hands, eyes searching her face madly.

“What did he look like?”

“Um, pretty short for a man, my height, I’d say, black hair, short, too, but long in the front, kind of like–,”

“–an undercut…”

“…yes, and I think he had grey eyes, although I’m not sure, he kept them narrowed all the time, like he was frowning–,”

“Did he say where he was going?”

“He ran off after he refused to tell me his name,” Erwin’s wife said quietly. “Erwin, who was that man?”

Erwin looked down, letting go of her hands. “I’m sorry. He’s… he’s nobody. At least he likes to think so.”

“But–,”

“Mommy!”

“Oh, for Sina’s sake!” The young woman got up from her chair with difficulty, and made towards their son’s room. Erwin stared after her, eyes unseeing. He closed them, pressing his fists into his eyelids violently. He heard her shuffle about, crooning to their son who had decided it was not time for bed yet.

“There, there, you don’t want to be tired in the morning, do you? Be a good boy for me, won’t you, Levi?”

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't hate me. Unbeta-ed, by the way. Drop me a line at http://hellofaheichou.tumblr.com or in the comments! Love you guys to bits!


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